The commissioner may suspend or revoke the license or licenses of any licensee or impose a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each violation on any licensee or both, when, after notice and hearing, the commissioner finds that the licensee (1) has violated any provision of any statute or regulation of any state or any federal statute or regulation pertaining to its business as a licensee or has failed to comply with the terms of a final decision and order of any state department or federal agency concerning any such provision; or (2) has failed to maintain such records of transactions concerning the purchase, sale or repair of motor vehicles or major component parts, as required by such regulations as shall be adopted by the commissioner, for a period of two years after such purchase, sale or repairs, provided the records shall include the vehicle identification number and the name and address of the person from whom each vehicle or part was purchased and to whom each vehicle or part was sold, if a sale occurred; or (3) has failed to allow inspection of such records by the commissioner or the commissioner's representative during normal business hours, provided written notice stating the purpose of the inspection is furnished to the licensee, or has failed to allow inspection of such records by any representative of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or any organized local police department, which inspection may include examination of the premises to determine the accuracy of such records; or (4) has made a false statement as to the condition, prior ownership or prior use of any motor vehicle sold, exchanged, transferred, offered for sale or repaired if the licensee knew or should have known that such statement was false; or (5) is not qualified to conduct the licensed business, applying the standards of section 14-51 and the applicable regulations; or (6) has violated any provision of sections 42-221 to 42-226, inclusive; or (7) has failed to fully execute or provide the buyer with (A) an order as described in section 14-62, (B) the properly assigned certificate of title, or (C) a temporary transfer or new issue of registration; or (8) has failed to deliver a motor vehicle free and clear of all liens, unless written notification is given to the buyer stating such motor vehicle shall be purchased subject to a lien; or (9) has violated any provision of sections 14-65f to 14-65j, inclusive, and section 14-65l; or (10) has used registration number plates issued by the commissioner, in violation of the provisions and standards set forth in sections 14-59 and 14-60 and the applicable regulations; or (11) has failed to secure or to account for or surrender to the commissioner on demand official registration plates or any other official materials in its custody; or (12) has been convicted, or if the licensee is a firm or corporation, an officer or major stockholder has been convicted, of a violation of any provision of laws pertaining to the business of a motor vehicle dealer or repairer including a motor vehicle recycler, or of any violation involving fraud, larceny or deprivation or misappropriation of property, in the courts of the United States or of any state, or has failed to make full disclosure of any such conviction. In addition to, or in lieu of, the imposition of any other penalties authorized by this section, the commissioner may order any such licensee to make restitution to any aggrieved customer.

(1949 Rev., S. 2404; 1963, P.A. 234; P.A. 73-674, S. 1; P.A. 74-107, S. 1, 2; P.A. 78-331, S. 10, 58; P.A. 79-69; P.A. 80-148; 80-292, S. 2; P.A. 81-160; 81-172, S. 7; 81-174, S. 2; P.A. 82-472, S. 40, 183; P.A. 86-114, S. 2; P.A. 93-397, S. 2; P.A. 98-34, S. 1; P.A. 02-70, S. 29; P.A. 03-278, S. 42; P.A. 05-218, S. 8; P.A. 10-5, S. 48; 10-110, S. 13; P.A. 11-51, S. 134.)

History: 1963 act added authority to revoke license; P.A. 73-674 required suspension or revocation of license for violation of state regulations and federal statutes or regulations extending applicability, and required suspension or revocation for failure to maintain records, for failure to allow inspection of records or for false statement and deleted provision re fine; P.A. 74-107 made suspension or revocation optional rather than mandatory by replacing “shall” with “may”, allowed commissioner to require bond whether license suspended or revoked or not and added provisions re return of bond; P.A. 78-331 made technical corrections; P.A. 79-69 substituted “shall” for “may” in Subdiv. (2); P.A. 80-148 made technical changes and allowed revocation or suspension if licensee found not qualified to conduct the business; P.A. 80-292 included major component parts in Subdiv. (2) and required that records contain vehicle identification number and names and addresses of sellers and buyers; P.A. 81-160 included a provision giving the commissioner the authority to impose civil penalties in addition to the power to suspend or revoke licenses; P.A. 81-172 included false statements concerning a motor vehicle that is “offered for sale” as cause for license suspension or revocation; P.A. 81-174 included failure to allow inspection of records and premises by state or local police as grounds for license suspension or revocation; P.A. 82-472 made technical corrections; P.A. 86-114 added provision allowing commissioner to order restitution to aggrieved customer; P.A. 93-397 added Subdiv. (6), making violation of Secs. 42-221 to 42-226, inclusive, grounds for suspension or revocation of license; P.A. 98-34 clarified that commissioner may impose a civil penalty for each violation and added Subdivs. (7) to (9) inclusive, expanding grounds for suspension, revocation and civil penalty; P.A. 02-70 made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, amended Subdiv. (1) to allow commissioner to suspend or revoke the license of any licensee when, after a hearing, the commissioner finds that the licensee has failed to comply with the terms of a final decision and order of any state department or federal agency concerning any state or federal statute or regulation pertaining to its business as a licensee, added new Subdiv. (10) to allow commissioner to suspend or revoke a license when commissioner finds that the licensee used number plates in violation of Secs. 14-59 and 14-60 and applicable regulations and eliminated requirement that licensee furnish to the commissioner a bond in the amount of $1,000 when commissioner has made requisite finding; P.A. 03-278 made a technical change, effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 05-218 added Subdiv. (11) re failure to secure or account for or surrender official registration plates or any other official materials, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 10-5 added reference to Sec. 14-65l in Subdiv. (9), effective May 5, 2010; P.A. 10-110 added Subdiv. (12) to authorize license suspension or revocation or imposition of civil penalty upon finding that licensee has been convicted of violating law pertaining to business of motor vehicle dealer, repairer or recycler, or violation of law involving fraud, larceny or deprivation or misappropriation of property, or has failed to fully disclose any such conviction, effective July 1, 2010; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection”, effective July 1, 2011.

See Sec. 14-67h for definition of “major component parts”.

Section does not authorize commissioner to delegate quasi-judicial functions. 151 C. 679. Cited. 165 C. 10. Commissioner has power of suspension when he finds that a repairer has misrepresented the condition of a motor vehicle he has repaired. Id., 15. Requires notice and hearing re alleged relations. Id., 42. 1973 amendment of section, which provides that a false statement as to prior ownership shall be a basis for suspension, is a clarification of the prior statute. Id., 416, 421. Section is penal in nature and is to be strictly construed; the word “condition” is to be construed according to its commonly approved usage, i.e., the actual mechanical status of the vehicle. Id., 416, 419, 420. Mileage on an automobile clearly relates to its condition. Id., 559. Commissioner, before imposing a suspension under section, was not precluded from examining plaintiff's past record kept by him; he may act on facts which are known to him even though they are not produced at the hearing. Id., 559, 567. Commissioner's revocation of plaintiff's license because of a violation of Sec. 14-51 sustained as it was supported by the evidence. 167 C. 304. Proof of the making of a false statement requires a finding by the commissioner of an intent to deceive by the dealer. Id., 493. Cited. 176 C. 11; 211 C. 508.

Cited. 30 CS 131; 36 CS 586. 1981 amendment to statute did not confer jurisdiction to fine a former licensee whose license had expired prior to institution of commissioner's complaint. 40 CS 226.